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The Night Watch
2011
Paula Milne
 Having read this book when it first came out in 2006 I was very keen to see what the television adaptation would be like. Much was made of the style of the book upon its release. You first meet the characters in 1947 and then gradually slip back in time to find out what had brought them to this particular juncture in their lives. It was a very clever trick, and I wondered how the bbc would tackle it. They did it splendidly. It was a nod to that wonderful film 'The Time Machine' as we re-visted in double quick time, the past. The first time slip took us back to 1943, where we met Kay (Anna Maxwell Martin), Helen (Claire Foy), Viv (Jodie Whittaker) and Julia (Anna Wilson-Jones) who were to be found right in the middle of London during the Blitz. The film captured the time perfectly and also the state of mind that prevailed. There seemed to be more of a sense of living life to the fullest as you didn't know if you would get to see tomorrow. Therefore all the hiden lesbian life style was less so, people felt more brave to be who they were. You then slip back to 1941 to the beginning of the war. It was a brilliant adaption as it has been with all Sarah Waters books. She is a genius writer and it is great to see that her work is treated with such respect! Thoroughly enjoyed it and would watch it again.
Any Human Heart
Michael Samuals * Runtime
2009
"Never say you know the last word about any human heart."
 A really thought provoking, intelligent and wonderfully acted drama from Channel4! I have not read the book, so this is purely based on the teleivision drama. The story is of Logan Mountstuart, we follow the course of his life, therefore he is played by 3 different actors, the young Logan is played by Sam Claffin, middle age is brought to us by the wonderful Matthew Macfayden and Jim Broadbent takes us to the end…
We have a couple of star turns from Kim Catrall who is sexy as ever and Gillian Anderson briefly seen as a very good Duchess of Windsor. So to the story, William Boyd's book is ficticioulsy based on a life long series of journals written by Logan Mountstuart. the theme that runs throughout is that life is purely comprised of luck, be it good luck or bad luck.
This nugget of wisdom was told to Logan by his father when he was a boy, and has stayed with him throughout his life which spanned 1906 – 1991, thus giving the author some wonderful moments in our recent history to feature within the story.
The sub theme to the book is how. as individuals. we change and evolve through life, do we recognise the person we once were as we grow older?
The film starts with Logan at Oxford desperate to lose his virginity, which he ends up doing with his best friends girlfriend, this also is something of a theme in the book, he is not the most faithful of men, but it is interesting to see this behaviour portrayed so well, like a fly on the wall. He writes three books, at college a biography on the poet Shelly. then a badly reviewed but bestseller ‘The Girl Factory’ and finally ‘Les Cosmopolites’ a book about the poets he met in France, of which we include Hemmingway.
Logan's life deals him some pretty desperate turns… the good luck bad luck theory is reinforced, it makes you think about loss an awful lot… that each moment is really so fleeting, and in years to come which moments will we look back upon and see as life changing. I highly recommend this! It is as I mention very sad but also a wonderful look at how we live our lives and how that has changed so much over the last 100 years.
William Boyd said in a recent interview that "We keep a journal to entrap the collection of selves that forms us, the individual human being" I wonder if that is why so many including myself now keep a blog? For similar purpose, to share our individuality with the world.
Boyd has said he was inspired by the generation of English writers who matured between the wars: "I am fascinated by the life and work of that generation of English writers who were born at the beginning of the century and reached maturity by the time of World War II. People like Evelyn Waughand Graham Greene and Anthony Powell, obviously, but also less well known writers—Henry Green, Lawrence Durrell, Cyril Connolly and William Gerhardie.The last two in particular lurk closely behind Logan." Both real and imagined characters are blended into this context, where historical personages are typically used to concentrate the historical significance of a novel's plot, Mountstuart's encounters with them are superficial, leaving only an impression of both parties' small-mindedness. John Mullan found the conceit most effective during the New York journal, where Boyd satirises figures in the Abstract Expressionist movement during the 1950s "whose characters seem almost beyond invention." I mentioned in my review of Rilke that the book appeared to me at an opportune time, as the book reminds me very much of this play, in the above paragraph when he says that Logan went through all these huge events in our lives almost superficially, as we do in our day to day lives, as Rilke said ‘He will stand in amazement as you stoodbeside the rope maker in Rome or the potter by the Nile.’
I remember vividly when this show first aired on BBC in 1990. There was such a lot of hoopla surrounding it, Jonathon Ross hosted a twin peaks special and interviewed various intellectuals about this show. How it would be received and how very different it was from anything we had seen before. As we read often, it is difficult now to look back and realise just how very different it was. There was nothing like this on our televisions at that time! now you see its influence everywhere, from Desperate Housewives (which is directed by Mark Frost) to Six Feet Under, Northern Exposure and lots more.
One of the interesting things about this show is that it has such a timeless quality about it, it isn't set in any time frame, the music is like nothing else, spooky and sultry and perfect. The actors chosen weren't huge names so you weren't thinking oh he was in such and such, it was all just this magically bizarre world that opened up before you. People talking backwards, dream sequences involving profound statements, some great lines, 'My log has something to tell you, do you know it' reply ' I don't believe we have been introduced'. The comedy is there, but it is subtle.
it portrays a small American town shocked by the news that one of their locals has been murdered - the first season focused on who killed Laura Palmer. The whole nation was gripped but when we did finally find out who it was, I think the show took a bit of a turn. My favoruite season was the first one, the second one had its moments but I kind of felt the magic was lost in that brothel with Audrey Horne when she realised her Dad owned it!
The main highlight of this show to me was Sherilyn Fenn as Audrey Horne, a better name I can't imagine.... She just oozed sexuality and innocence all at the same time! And was the most beautiful women I had ever seen in my life!
Check out our feature on Sherilyn
This season was a bit different to the last two, as it had new story lines written for it that were not actually in the book! Ie Mother Mucca introducing Mrs Madrigal to a chap and a story for Connie Bradshaw.
The story focuses mainly on De De and her time at Jonestown and how they got out just in time. There is a strange man living in a hut who bewitches Prue and Michael ends up in a movie stars mansion. It was alleged that the movie star was based on Maupin's own relationship with Rock Hudson.
This up to the point of writing was the last book they filmed, let us hope that someone takes on the mantel and manages to capture the rest before the actors get to old to play the parts....
More Tales Of The City
Pierre Gang * Runtime: 324 minutes
1998
The wonderful and clever thing about these books and dvds is how Armistead managed to weave all the characters together.
This season is when Mary Anne gets left some dosh by Edgar Halcyon and takes 'Mouse' on a cruise. It's a great storyline, when she meets the far to perfect Burke and becomes a slooth, yet again to try and find out the truth about what happened to him in San Francisco. All the original characters are in this season, but we also get to meet some new ones. Notably Mother Mucca, played by the wonderful Jackie Burroughs, alas we have a different Mona and Michael... which is a shame but the new actors take on the roles and soon make them their own. There are some great if most bizarre storylines... and it conjures up the book wonderfully well.
Not quite as magical as the first dvd but not a bad follow up.
Tales Of The City - Series 1 [DVD]
Alistair Reed * Runtime 324 minutes
1993
You know how it can be when your favourite books are made into a movie or a tv show... it's usually terribly disappointing, the images that you conjured up in your mind of these characters are hardly ever the same as those you see on the screen before you. Well, this series was a major exception to the rule! The actors they chose were in my mind just perfect for the parts they played! Laura Linney was just perfect as Mary Anne Singleton and Olympia Dukakis was just born to play the wonderful Mrs Madrigal!
I have watched this dvd sooo many times, we used to have Tales of the City parties in which my friends would turn up with ice buckets full of wine and we would sit and watch the whole 5 hours none stop and lose ourselves in this wonderful world that Armistead Maupin created! Dreaming that we too could reside at 28 Barbary Lane and get to hang out with Mona and Michael.
The times are captured so well in this dvd, the music is just great and sends you straight back to that time. I really like Marcus D'Amico as 'Mouse' but for reasons best known to them he was replaced in the future dvds which is a shame.
I just can't rave enough about this dvd, it also makes you want to read all the books again and lose yourself in that world.
Wonderful times, wonderful telly!
Queer As Folk USA - Season 1-5 Complete [DVD]
Director: Various
I can’t speak highly enough of this show! Our friend Alistair told us about it, so I sent off for season one from Amazon. We were just hooked right from the start! It is much more accessible than the British version - this series is set in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. It looks a very cold place! But even so you just feel like you want to know these people, and share in their world.
Whilst the main focus is on the gay men there is a token lesbian couple who are just great.
The main characters are Brian (Gale Harold) who was just great as the sexy cold Brian. Justin, Michael, Emmett (my favourite character) played by the great Peter Paige. Ted, Lindsay and Melanie but it is Sharon Gless who steels the show as Michael's Mum. Playing totally against type as a dowdy waitress, when you think how sexy she was in Cagney and Lacey but here she shines through simply with just great acting!
It is true that the show does feature very graphic gay sex scenes, sadly mostly with the men but once you get past that it is such a strong cast and so well written. We found ourselves totally addicted to it.
Now out in a box set of all 5 season’s - go and grab a copy and curl up ready for those cold winter nights!
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